"Life on the land is tougher than ever." - said Tick Everett.
More than anyone, Kate and Tick understand the several unique challenges faced by young people in rural and remote areas experiencing bullying and their families. That's why Dolly's Dream was founded, to prevent other families to go through the same devastation they did.
What are these challenges and what does Dolly's Dream do to help? Let's unpack this with us!
CHALLENGES FACED BY BULLIED YOUNG PEOPLE IN RURAL AND REMOTE AREAS
1. Small, isolated communities
Geographical isolation often worsens feelings of loneliness caused by bullying. Bullied students may feel trapped in their community without being able to participate in social activities outside of school and make new friends so they feel less lonely.
Being part of smaller communities also makes it challenging to maintain confidentiality when seeking help. Young people might fear that once they look for support, everyone in the community would know about their issues. This could further isolate them or make them reluctant to seek help.
2. Limited access to support services
Rural areas often have fewer mental health services, counselling centres, or youth support organisations compared to urban areas. Victims of bullying may need specialised support that is only available in larger towns or cities. This makes it difficult for them to receive timely and appropriate help.
When seeking support, many young people find it important for the services to be readily accessible and low-cost, which are particularly scarce in rural and remote areas. As a result, many delay seeking help or not receive the right support. This can lead to worsening mental health conditions, increased rates of suicide, and a decreased overall quality of life for rural populations.
3. Transportation and distance
Limited transportation options can make it difficult for young people to access services, support, and alternative safe spaces outside their immediate community. Lack of reliable transportation can further isolate victims of bullying from potential sources of help.
Bullying often occurs in school settings, and if a student is being bullied, they may feel unsafe attending school. In rural areas, where school options are limited and distant, it's difficult for bullied students to change schools to escape the bullying. It also reduces the chances of finding a safe and supportive educational environment nearby.
Smaller rural schools may also have less diversity in student population. When you're the only "different" one, it's easier to be picked out and harder to find peer support.
Cultural attitudes in rural communities may influence how bullying is perceived and addressed. There may be a tendency to downplay or dismiss bullying as part of "growing up", which can discourage reporting, speaking out against bullying and seeking help.
Bullying often leads to anxiety and depression, and stigmas surrounding mental health may also prevent the bullied from seeking support or disclosing their struggles in fear of judgment and discrimination. They value anonymity and would rather travel to the next town or regional centre to get the support they need. But as mentioned earlier, in many cases the facilities are not available, or they don't know where to seek help from.
This largely contributes to the fact that the lowest rates of help-seeking are in rural and remote communities, with around 46% of people don’t seek help for mental health issue.
While technology has improved connectivity, rural areas may still face challenges with digital literacy. The level of online safety knowledge in rural communities may not be as high as in metropolitan areas. Schools and community organisations in rural areas may lack the resources or expertise to effectively monitor and intervene in cyberbullying incidents. This can lead to delayed responses or inadequate support for victims and their families.
HOW DOLLY'S DREAM HELPS TO ADDRESS BULLYING IN RURAL AND REMOTE AREAS OF AUSTRALIA
- EDUCATION AND AWARENESS
To promoting awareness about the impact of bullying and fostering empathy among young people, Dolly's Dream offers a range of online safety and anti-bullying WORKSHOPS tailored for students of all ages, as well as parents, teachers and even the general community.
We know that everyone’s level of knowledge of the online world is different, and that’s why we adapt our workshops for each individual audience and their needs. This is where students learn how to make the internet a safe and kind place for all, where parents and teachers learn how to best support young people experiencing harms caused by bullying.
- TECHNOLOGY AND DIGITAL LITERACY
Dolly’s Dream has partnered with the Telethon Kids Institute to get BEACON, the free cyber safety app, into the hands of parents and carers across the nation. This app is a one-stop-shop that provides reliable information for parents and carers to help them confidently navigate their family’s technology use and reduce associated harms.
Families can personalise according to their children’s ages, interests and devices and receive content - including articles, videos and alerts - from a comprehensive library of strategies and tips to help address challenging issues such as screen time, gaming and cyberbullying. The content is regularly updated in response to changing Australian societal and online trends.
"We are proud that Beacon provides easily accessible support and information to families, especially in our rural, regional, and remote communities, that we wish we had." - said Kate.
Many parents in rural and remote areas also find the online world overwhelming as there are too many things to learn about it. This is why we're here! You can find well-researched information about online safety and bullying on our PARENT HUB and equip yourself with the knowledge needed to teach your child about these important topics and protect them from potential negative effects of technology.
- SUPPORT SERVICES
At Dolly's Dream, we understand support from a qualified counsellor isn’t cheap, and not always accessible. That's why we offer a 24/7 FREE SUPPORT LINE for people who need it most, no matter where you live - just call 0488 881 033 or visit dollysdream.org.au/what-we-do/support-line to WebChat. It's private and confidential. It will be a safe, judgement-free, shame-free space where you and your children are treated with respect. We know it can feel really lonely and isolating living in remote areas, so will be here whenever you want to chat.
We also know that there is a lack of availability to mental health services in regional, rural and remote areas of Australia. Due to this, we are working with businesses, schools and sports clubs in these communities to deliver MENTAL HEALTH FIRST-AID TRAINING to help build their capacity in coping with mental health issues.
Every day, we work to provide students from rural areas and their parents increased access to mental health support, improved digital literacy, and strengthened community networks. We hope to create safer environments where young people feel empowered to seek help and stand up against bullying, no matter where they live. And we won't stop until bullying stops.
If you are concerned about a child or young person being bullied, please seek help. Speak to a trusted GP, school wellbeing staff, or a helpline such as:
Dolly’s Dream Support Line 0488 881 033
Parentline in your state or territory
Kids Helpline 1800 55 1800
Headspace 1800 650 890
Lifeline 13 11 14
